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The Setting of Luke's Account of the Anointing: Luke 7.2–8.3

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

D. A. S. Ravens
D. A. S. Ravens
Affiliation:
Leeds, England
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Extract

Luke's account of the anointing of Jesus (Luke 7. 36–50) seems to be one of the gospel stories which critics have examined somewhat in isolation from the context of the surrounding material. One reason for this may be that Luke has told his story almost too well, if that is possible, so that the account of the woman's act of overflowing love and its contrast with the Pharisee's lack of care for his invited guest can easily be read as a self-contained unit. It has certainly provided useful ammunition for those who have sought to denigrate the Pharisaic outlook by comparing it with Christian love; moreover, as Dibelius recognised, the woman's action and Luke's six-fold repetition which emphasises forgiveness would have made the story very valuable for illustrating sermons.

Type
Articles
Information
New Testament Studies , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , April 1988 , pp. 282 - 292
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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References

NOTES

[1] Dibelius, M., From Tradition to Gospel (London: Nicholson & Watson, 1934) 131.Google Scholar

[2] Bultmann, R., The History of the Synoptic Tradition (2nd ed.; Oxford: Blackwell, 1968) 20–1Google Scholar. For a more recent analysis See Holst, R., ‘The One Anointing of Jesus: Another Application of the Form-Critical Method’, JBL 95 (1976) 435–46.Google Scholar

[3] Taylor, V., Behind the Third Gospel (London: Oxford University, 1926) 233–4Google Scholar. A recent survey of the various theories is given by Marshall, I. H., The Gospel of Luke, a Commentary on the Greek Text (Exeter: Paternoster, 1978) 304–7.Google Scholar

[4] Dibelius, , Tradition to Gospel, 114.Google Scholar

[5] Taylor, , Third Gospel, 234.Google Scholar

[6] Conzelmann, H., The Theology of St. Luke (London: Faber & Faber, 1960) 79.Google Scholar

[7] Drury, J., Tradition and Design in Luke's Cospel (London: Danton, Longman & Todd, 1976) 74.Google Scholar

[8] Maddox, R., The Purpose of Luke-Acts (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1982) 44.Google Scholar

[9] Moulton, J. H. and Milligan, G., The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament Illustrated from the Papyri and Other Non-Literary Sources (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1929) 21, 693.Google Scholar

[10] Nineham, D. E., The Gospel of St. Mark, The Pelican New Testament Commentaries (London: Penguin Books, 1963) 372–3.Google Scholar

[11] Maddox, , Purpose, 144.Google Scholar

[12] Sanders, E. P., Jesus and Judaism (London: SCM, 1985) 273.Google Scholar

[13] Kilgallen, J. J., ‘John the Baptist, the Sinful Woman and the Pharisee’, JBL 104 (1985) 675–9.Google Scholar

[14] Flender, H., St. Luke, Theologian of Redemptive History (London: SPCK, 1967) 49.Google Scholar

[15] Conzelmann, , St. Luke, 79.Google Scholar

[16] Drury, , Tradition and Design, 46–81, esp. 71–2.Google Scholar

[17] Seccombe, D., ‘Luke and Isaiah’, NTS 27 (1980–1981) 252–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

[18] Elliott, J. K., ‘The Anointing of Jesus’, Exp. T. 85 (1974) 105–7Google Scholar. His view that anointing the feet ‘can be read merely as a polite gesture of devotion’ seems seriously to miss the point of Luke's emphasis on the feet.

[19] Cadbury, H. J., Four Features of Lucan Style; Studies in Luke Acts (ed. Keck, L. E. & Martin, J. L.; London: SPCK 1968) 100.Google Scholar

[20] Plummer, A., The Gospel According to St. Luke (Edinburgh: ICC, T. & T. Clark, 1896) 197.Google Scholar

[21] Fitzmyer, J. A., The Gospel According to St. Luke, The Anchor Bible (New York: Double-day, 1981) 670–2.Google Scholar

[22] Marshall, , St. Luke 295.Google Scholar

[23] Robinson, J. A. T., Twelve New Testament Studies (SBT 34; London: SCM, 1962) 35–6.Google Scholar

[24] Drury, , Tradition and Design, 31.Google Scholar

[25] See for example, Luke 2. 27–38, 2. 46–49, 21. 5–37.

[26] Fitzmyer, , St. Luke, 674.Google Scholar

[27] Marshall, , St. Luke, 296Google Scholar, refers to the opinion of F. W. Danker that the use of Exod 23. 20 means that the Baptist is preparing Israel for the day of the Lord. However, the verse clearly has the promised land as the objective. I have been unable to we Danker's original publication.

[28] Talbert, C. H., Reading Luke, a Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel (New York: Crossroad, 1984) 84–5.Google Scholar

[29] Creed, J. M., The Gospel According to St. Luke (London: MacMillan, 1930) 108–9Google Scholar. Lindars, B., Jesus Son of Man (London: SPCK 1983) 31–4Google Scholar. It is difficult to agree with Lindars' comment that ‘none of the differences is substantial’.

[30] Marshall, , St. Luke, 308.Google Scholar

[31] Ziesler, J. A., ‘Luke and the Pharisees’, NTS 25 (1978–1979) 146–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar